1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hydraulic bottle jack and more specifically, this invention provides improvements to a control valve for a bottle jack having an adjustable member to inhibit excessive loosening of the valve.
2. Background of the Invention
Hydraulic bottle jacks are well known in the art and utilize pressure exerted on an incompressible hydraulic fluid which in turn exerts pressure on a lifting piston. Pressure is exerted on the hydraulic fluid by a lever operated plunger, forcing the fluid from a chamber containing the plunger through a one-way valve and into a piston chamber where the fluid exerts pressure on a piston upwards. As the hydraulic fluid flows into the piston chamber, the piston is pushed higher upward. To stow the jack or reset the piston, a user opens a one-way reset valve to allow hydraulic fluid to flow back from the piston chamber to a hydraulic fluid reservoir.
The farther a user opens the one-way reset valve, the faster the hydraulic fluid flows from the piston chamber and the faster the piston lowers. In an effort to speed up the jack lowering process, users frequently continue opening the one-way valve until they unintentionally remove the valve from the jack altogether. The jack is then inoperable until repaired through replacement of the valve and any lost hydraulic fluid.
A need exists in the art for a bottle jack having a valve inhibitor. The valve inhibitor should be adjustable, with the means for adjustment readily accessible to users. The inhibitor should prevent users of the bottle jack from over loosening the valve and removing it from the jack.